MASI LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

The 2019 Session of the Mississippi Legislature is now in full stride! Tuesday marked a major deadline, and many bills died on the calendar because they failed to clear committees in the House and Senate.

For information on the bills that are still alive, and some of the ones that died, scroll down…

Now begins another legislative cycle… Bills that remain alive must pass each chamber by next Thursday, February 14. At that point, the bills that pass the House and Senate will then be referred to the other chamber where the process will begin again.

HB1320, authored by Rep. Nick Baine, passed the Judiciary B Committee this week, and now heads to the House where it is expected to pass.

In Mississippi, it is legal for someone to purchase Synthetic Human Urine for the purposes of faking a drug test at work. This has resulted in an unsafe work environment, and MASI is fighting to change this.

HB1320 imposes penalties that will hopefully curb this practice significantly.

We appreciate Rep. Nick Baine and also Jud B Chairperson Angela Cockerham for their support!

HB731 and SB2307, which would have restored fiscal control to the MWCC, have both died, failing to clear committee. These bills would have shielded the Administrative Expense Fund from being diverted to fund other agencies.

MASI supported this action because it is the right thing to do, and it would have allowed assessments against our members to go down. We believe that the monies paid by our employer and group members to fund the operation of the MWCC should not be diverted to other state agencies, and our members should not be left to fund the difference through higher assessments.

MASI will again be pursuing passage of the Workplace Wellness Tax Credit, to allow $1 million in tax credits for employers who provide wellness programs for their employees. This is a Win-Win proposal for workers’ comp plans and health plans both! As a revenue bill, we will be facing a later deadline than general bills – and we will be sure to keep you posted on its progress.

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION BILLS

Several bills that would have made positive changes to Mississippi’s Workers’ Compensation laws died on the calendar this week. Among these was a bill that would have protected the privacy of injured workers and helped stop harassment by telephone and mail solicitations. It would also have created protections for funds set-aside for the future medical needs of injured workers. We will pursue passage of these measures again next year.

The good news is that most dangerous bills also died, including attempts to increase benefit periods and open loopholes that would have cost employers and employees alike.

One bill that is still alive, however, SB2835, could have negative consequences for Workers’ Comp plans for cities and counties across Mississippi. This bill, being called the “Mississippi First Responders Health and Safety Act”, has passed the Senate and could financially impact the cost of providing Workers’ Compensation benefits by requiring that some illnesses be covered.

Many health-related bills also died on the calendar, but a few remain. These are detailed below.

Two that are of particular interest could affect the way dental claims and medical claims are handled by the carrier. SB2772 and HB752 would make it harder for dental procedures to be denied once proven to be medically-necessary. HB628 would provide penalties for health claims that are paid late. In addition, SB2365 would make clarifications on the definitions related to compound pharmacy.

MASI wants to serve you! As in years past, we will be hard at work tracking bills and keeping you informed of the ones that concern you. We will endeavor to safeguard our industry from harmful legislation and over-reaching regulation. If at any time you hear of legislation that concerns you, please do not hesitate to contact us!